Bridle



UNITED STATES Parent ALEXANDER ROEBER, OF MORGAN, TEXAS.

BRIDLE.

.GPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 303,751, dated August 19, 188

Application filedJnne 10, 1894 (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern,

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER ROEBER, of Morgan, in the county of Bosque and State of Texas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Bridles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in a novel manner of constructing driving-bridles, whereby a leverage upon the bit and curb proportionate to the needs of any particular occasion may be instantly secured, and whereby, also, the horses head may be drawn up so that it will be impossible to hold the bit out of control of thedriver.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 repre sents the improved bridle applied. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the bridle, showing the parts-as they appearin ordinary use with only a moderate pull on the reins; Fig. 3, a similar view, but with the parts as they appear when a strong pull is put upon the reins; Figs. 4 and 5, detail views of certain parts.

Bridles have hitherto been made with bits havingdownwardlyextendingarms,andaslide so arranged that when a strong pull was made upon the reins the slideshould run down toward the lower ends of the arms, and thus afford a greater leverage upon the bit; and it is to this class of bits that my invention re lates. Such devices as have heretofore been proposed for carrying out the above-mentioned plan have in some cases been furnished with springs for normally holding up the slide, and others have been made with slots or guides of peculiar form for the same purpose; but to this feature alone I make no special claim. These plans have not given satisfactory results, and, as a consequence, such bridles have not gone extensively into use. My plan differs from all previous ones of which I am aware, in that the slides are attached tothe check-rein as well as to the driving-reins, the check-rein serving to hold up the slides ordinarily, yet permitting it to be drawn down whenrequired, and causing the horses head to be drawn in by the same operation, thus giving the driver perfect control of even a fractious horse.

My improved construction will be more readily understood upon referring to the draw ings, in which- A indicates the headstall of a bridle; B, the bit; 0, the check-rein, and D the driving-rein.

I The bit, which may snaflle-form, has the cheek-p1eccs a extended its lower side to run upon be of straight, curved, or

upward above the mouthpiece b, and formed with eyes or loops 0 for attachment to the headstall A, and smaller loops or eyes d to receive the curb strap or chain E, which will be made tight or loose, as required, in the usual manner. From the lower ends of the cheek-pieces a of the bit, arms 0 extend back' ward and downward, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, their lower ends being formed or furnished with knobs or buttons f, as shown.

F F indicate swivels attached to the cheek: pieces a of the bit at or about the line of the mouth-piece, and advisably furnished each with an anti-friction roller'for the check rein to pass around, as presently explained.

G G indicate slides, each consisting of two rings or loops, 9 and 71, joined together at right angles to each other, the upper r111 having two eyes, and j, for the attachment of the check-rein and driving-rein,respectively, and the lower ring having a roller, is, at the arm a of the bit, and enable the slide to travel freely thereon, one of said slides being applied to each of the arms 6. The lower ends of the arms 0 may be connected by a crossbar, Z, or left unconnected, as preferred.

The parts being thus constructed, the ends of the check-rein carried through the swivels F, thence to and connected with the slides G,

and the driving reins or lines H being likewise attached to the slides G, the whole is ready for use. The bridle is applied and the checlcrein hooked over the hook upon the harnesssaddle in the usual way, the strain upon the check-rein, however slight, serving to draw the slide G up toward the swivels F, and to hold them normally in the position shown in Fig. 2, where they remain for ordinary driving. hen, however, the horse becomes fractions and difficult to manage, or, seizing the bit in his teeth, disregards the pull upon the reins, a stronger pull draws down the slides G, the check-rein running through the swivels F, and being thereby shortened between its book and the bridle, and consequently drawing the horses head in close to his body, and the strain upon the bit being applied farther down the arms 6, giving a-great increase of leverage upon the bit. This increase of leverage in the case of a curb-bit causes the curb chain or strap to press with great force upon the chain on under jaw of the horse, or in case of a curved bit to pr 1 the mouth open, so that it will be impossible for the horse to hold the bit firmly by the teeth.

- As soon as the horse becomes quiet and the necessity for pulling hard upon the reins is past, they are again slaekened to the ordinary Instead of swivels F, eyes or loops may be formed upon the cheek-pieces a of the bit, and the form of the slide may be varied, as desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a bridle, the combination of a headstall, a bit having swivels or eyes and arms extending downward and backward, slides mounted upon said arms, and a cheek-rein and driving-rein both attached to said slides, substantially as described and shown.

2. The hereiirdescribed bridle, consisting of a headstall, A, bit B, having swivels F and arms 0, slides G, mounted upon said arms, curb E, check-rein C, passing through the swivels F, and attached to slides G, and drivlug-reins D, likewise attached to the slides, all substantially as shown and described.

ALEXANDER ROEBEH.

Vitnesses:

Mourns XVEIL, A. EnrksoN. 

